From Goodreads:  Shattered by the breakdown of yet another romance, Jana Hayes becomes a recluse in her tiny Venice apartment and buries herself in her work as an expert art conservator … until an ancient religious icon brings Roman Catholic priest Rob Anderson into her life. 

The secret they discover hidden in the mysterious artefact turns out to be not only devastating, but deadly.  And it has the star-crossed couple running for their lives across Europe and the Middle East, pursued by three ruthless opposing factions, each for its own reason determined to torture and kill to lay hands on the world-shaking evidence uncovered. 

While Rob struggles with his priestly vows and Jana with an overbearing billionaire mother who holds the purse strings to an outrageous ransom demand, they discover, with the help of an ageing genius symbologist, more and more damning revelations about one of the New Testament’s most sacred gospel writers – and as the evidence mounts, the stakes rise and the blood flows. 
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This was a really fantastic read!  Dingli is a superb writer, encompassing it all within her novel: suspense, mystery, romance, murder, betrayal, and even terrorism.  I was intrigued as I read, spurred on by the mystery that surrounded the novel as Jana and her friends uncover a conspiracy and figure out the truth.  I was reminded of The Da Vinci Code as I read (the movie, I’ve not yet read the book), yet only in terms of mystery and secrets within the Catholic church.  Dingli makes this story her own, and all other similarities with other novels and movies end there.  I would, therefore, love to see this novel hit the big screen as its sheer amount of intrigue, suspense, and mystery will captivate any audience.

I highly enjoyed the characters as they were well rounded and sincere, adding to the narrative of the story.  I was able to identify with the characters on many levels, solidifying my fondness for the novel.  Dingli does a superb job shrouding her book in mystery, and kept me guessing as new information came to light.  I found myself drawn in to the novel, right alongside the characters, while coming up with my own theories.  Yet, I was just as shocked as the characters were when the truth was finally revealed; it takes a very skilled writer to keep such a vast secret from revealing itself before the exact time, and Dingli does an outstanding job. 

I am also impressed with the amount of time Dingli spent researching her book.  While admittedly a fictional novel, all the locations, paintings (save the separated icon Jana works closely with) and sculptures, illnesses, transportation routes, and documents presented in the text are authentic.  This aspect makes the novel that much more intriguing as one can actually visit and research these relics for further study.  It is plain to see that Dingli put a lot of time and love into creating her novel, and I highly recommend reading it!  Four stars!

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.